Why You Should Never Refuse Medical Attention After a Serious Accident

After a car accident, you might be eager to get home and relax. But you shouldn’t let your eagerness keep you from medical attention. Find out why you should accept medical attention, no matter how good you might physically feel right after the crash.

Why Does Medical Attention Matter?

Immediately after an accident, you might not feel much of anything. Your lack of bruising or cuts could make you decline medical attention. But that could be a mistake.

Pain, numbness, and dizziness are common symptoms of injury after an accident. But they aren’t the only signs that something is wrong. There could be other signs that you’re ignoring, or delayed side effects of an injury. By getting medical attention, you could identify an injury before it’s too late.

Still not convinced? Here are a few reasons you should accept medical help:

1. Your Health

The primary reason for accepting medical help is your health. You might not immediately experience symptoms of an accident-related injury. In fact, people don’t often notice back and neck pain until days or weeks after an accident.

Waiting to get medical help can be detrimental to your health. By treating the problem early, you can prevent serious complications. If you wait too long to get help, the issue can get out of control.

2. Your Insurance Payout

If you don’t have documentation of your injuries, insurance isn’t likely to cover medical costs. You need proof that you suffered injuries as a result of your car accident.

A doctor’s examination that occurs two weeks after your accident doesn’t help you much. You need to demonstrate that you received an injury during the accident.

When you get immediate medical attention, you get more than a check-up. You also get proof of your injuries. The documentation that you receive from your examination shows that you deserve compensation for your injuries. Because the exam comes from an unbiased first-responder, it is trustworthy enough for insurers to believe.

3. Your Lawsuit

An insurance company might not give you the money you deserve for a car accident. If you don’t get a fair payout, you can go to court. The other driver could be responsible for paying for your damages and medical bills.

Having a successful lawsuit isn’t easy. You need extensive proof of your damages and injuries. When you get medical attention after the accident, you can use the responder’s report to build your case. It could be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful lawsuit.

What Else Can You Do?

In addition to seeking medical attention, there are other steps you can take to help your case. First, you should take pictures of any visible injuries. This includes scrapes, bruises, cuts, and other abrasions.

You should also write down any pain or symptoms that you experience after an accident. As time passes, you might not remember those symptoms. You need to keep a written record as supporting evidence of your injuries. If a doctor diagnoses you with an injury in the weeks after your accident, your notes could link the accident and the injury together.

If you make any doctor’s visits after your accident, keep all of your records together. Be sure to save all of the receipts for medical expenses, including copayments and pharmacy expenses.

Finally, you should contact a car accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale. Your lawyer can walk you through the steps you need to take to recoup your losses.